One strength I have going into the design and engineering process is that I have had experience with it before.
One area of growth for me is keeping the scale of my projects manageable with the time and resources given.
In my documentation, I want to commit to:
Documenting works in progress, not just the final result
Taking high quality and easy to understand pictures
giving a short description of what is shown in the pictures
The six designs Maxine and I came up with were a jellyfish, a speaker, a sun, an alarm clock, a lightning bolt, a spider, 1 die, and a laser warning symbol. The laser sign is a standard warning label for lasers that you could find on a laser pointer. We settled on the laser warning sign because we thought it would lend itself best to a custom pcb, and it was a creative idea that we both liked.
this is our final PCB design. We used the LEDs to show the laser beam, and silkscreen to show the light beams and the words "Danger: Laser". we wired the LEDs in series.
board
schematic
Final PCB
Speaker Ideas
These drawing show different angles of the intended design. It is designed to be as simple as possible to build, and to require the least amount of resources.
This 3d model uses only straight planes, so it can be cut out of acrylic sheets. It also fits a speaker, and uses the amount of resources allowed
This is the prototype of my final design. The speakers are going to be the wheels, and I am happy with the size.
This is my amp circuit on a breadboard. It works, and I have tested both my speakers on it
Here are our python worksheets. I worked with Sonya to create code that did many different things. For instance, we used code to count the amount of money we had, and what the currency makeup was of that money.
Worksheet 1:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jRsrxB84i4u8pJumvLWCOMyrEDAcnsdub9wUSXtcmL4/edit
Worksheet 2:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/111h2kyRqahzUAtaB8rvwBir7ZPlSRcILyk-0xNWLB4k/edit
Amp PCB Circuit
I worked with Tara to create this pcb. We divided the work in half, so we each connected half the components of the pcb. We added text on the top left to show our pcb is special, and not like the other pcb's.
Coding Challenge 2
Kai and I put some photos Kai had taken onto the microcontroller. We also created a countdown timer, and this was where the challenge was. We solved this challenge by setting x to 10000, then set x=x-1. This made it take 1 away from x forever, counting down the number.
Digital Project Plan
I plan to use a color display to show different colors that change with the music playing. As it gets louder or something else changes, the colors get brighter or transition from dark blue to bright red. The idea is to connect to the F1 car design. Something like revving the engines of the car connected to the music.
Unsoldered PCB
Soldered PCB
This is the finished speaker I created: Video
What did you make?
I made a F1 car out of acrylic. I added wheels to the front, and the back wheels are the speakers. My digital project is a light in the back that responds to sound
Thinking about the work you created, what are you most satisfied with this semester?
I am most satisfied with my digital project, as I feel I am more analog oriented. Creating a successful digital project without compromising on my vision was very satisfying.
If you were to start over, knowing what you know, what would I do differently?
I would document my work more, as I feel it would alleviate some stress from making sure I get everything posted, and keep my teacher informed on what I am doing.
What is a lesson from this class that you will take with you and use in future projects?
Creating a really solid plan before you make anything makes the whole design process much smoother.
Digital Project
A description of what your project goals were/what you aimed to make
I wanted to make a light that reacted to the volume of the music. I was able to build it, and in only one class period. I thought it would work well with the theme of the F1 car.
A reflection on what you learned during this process/what challenges you faced
I learned that planning where all your wires are going to go before you finish building it is important. I drilled an unnecessary hole in the back of my car, just to realize my wires wouldn't work with that hole.